Dac: Does anyhting beat the Schiit Gungnir Multibit (Gumby) in the same price range?

@pmboyd, I haven't tried the Schitt, but have recently auditioned a number of DACs including Meridian Director, Cambridge Audio, Resonessence Concero HP, TEAC.  Of the lot, the Concero was a step above the others. 

During our auditions in two different systems, it tended to have a more open, wider soundstage than most others. It has a very realistic tonal balance and timbre.  Very tight, but deep bass, making it the most musical of the bunch. 

Very impressive at the price point US $850.  My guess is that it will compete very well against similar or somewhat higher priced DACs.  

I suggest an audition, which might save you a few dollars. 

Full disclosure: for the last 10 yrs, all of my listening has happened on my desktop audio system, which I 've consistently upgraded. The powered speakers are next to be upgraded (Swan M200 MKIIs). They're quite pleasant, but not a top-level, audiophile design.

Regarding DACs: my 2nd DAC was the very good, inexpensive Peachtree Audio DAC iTx (I'm in agreement w/Vdotman about this unit). Still, I was restless w/"digital" aspects of sound on my system even w/this DAC. I got interested in R2R DACs. That led me to non-oversampling (NOS) DACs.

A Chinese company named Audio GD offers very well regarded R2R DACs (ie, DAC 19) and an NOS DAC, the NOS 19. Last summer I purchased the NOS 19. It proved to be a major detour in--and a major refinement of--my entire relationship w/digital audio.

What does it sound like? Well, digital "glare" is utterly gone. Transients aren't highlighted in the least. All the detail is there, but it sounds natural/organic. All the frequencies are there. I don't find the treble rolled off, for example...it scales up suitably w/a recording known to be bright). The midrange is just about perfect. And the bass has a very pleasing, rounded quality. I have a good sub and hear all the bass: it sounds very good.

I've gotten several high-quality headphone amp/preamps (Audio GD SA-31SE; Violectric V281). On headphones (multiple types), each sounds extremely good, albeit in very different ways. When I listen via speakers + sub, I hear all those differences, just larger. So I think the DAC is "telling the truth" in my system.

The NOS 19 is so good that I stopped thinking about DACs--no  upgrade fever. I don't even think of the DAC day-to-day. It just does what it does, and music sounds better for it.

I don't have a wide variety of DAC experience, esp. on the upper end. I use an Emotiva Sealth on the main system (as it has balanced outs plus a remote) and a Schiit Bifrost in the den. I recently upgraded the Schiit to the 4490 board - an easy install - and was hugely impressed by the physical quality of the boards, case, etc. It is built like a ruddy tank! Can't equate that to actual performance but if they put half the care into their designs as they do into construction, count me a customer.

Someone in HF promised to compare The Audio GD DAC 19 to Ares so chances are that there will be some info soon. Audio GD is supposed to be very good also but if we check spec the R2R ladder resistors in audio GD are 0,1% precision (DA M1 modules) but Ares has 0.01% resistors and the top Denafrips models even use 0,005% resistor ladders.

http://www.audio-gd.com/Pro/diy/DA01/DA01EN.htm

What about Chord 2Qute vs Gumby?